FR3056418A1 - FLUID PRODUCT DISPENSER. - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for manufacturing a fluid product applicator (A1) defining an external application surface (13) intended to be brought into contact with an application surface, said external shell (1) defining an internal cavity (10) which communicates with the external application surface (13) through at least one through hole (14) formed in the outer shell (1), the fluid applicator (A1) also comprising a piece of porous material (2) ) defining an internal network of open cells through which the fluid product can pass, the piece of porous material (2) being disposed in said internal cavity (10), characterized in that the internal network of open cells of the piece of material porous material (2) is directly formed inside the internal cavity (10), which thus serves as a formation receptacle for the piece of porous material (2).

Description

® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY © Publication number: 3,056,418 (to be used only for reproduction orders)

©) National registration number: 16 58957

COURBEVOIE © IntCI ⁸

B 05 C 1/02 (2017.01), B 05 C 1/04

A1 PATENT APPLICATION

©) Date of filing: 23.09.16. (© Applicant (s): APTAR FRANCE SAS Company by (© Priority: simplified actions - FR. @ Inventor (s): DUQUET FREDERIC. ©) Date of public availability of the request: 30.03.18 Bulletin 18/13. ©) List of documents cited in the report preliminary research: Refer to end of present booklet (© References to other national documents ©) Holder (s): APTAR FRANCE SAS Company by related: simplified actions. ©) Extension request (s): (© Agent (s): CAPRI.

(04) fluid dispenser.

FR 3 056 418 - A1 _ Method for manufacturing a fluid applicator (A1) defining an external application surface (13) intended to be brought into contact with an application surface, this external shell (1) defining an internal cavity (10) which communicates with the external application surface (13) through at least one passage hole (14) formed in the external shell (1), the fluid applicator (A1) also comprising a piece of porous material (2) defining an internal network of open cells through which the fluid product can pass, the piece of porous material (2) being disposed in said internal cavity (10), characterized in that the internal network of open cells of the piece of porous material (2) is produced directly inside the internal cavity (10), which thus serves as a training receptacle for the piece of porous material (2).

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The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a fluid applicator comprising an external shell defining an external application surface intended to be brought into contact with an application surface, this external shell defining an internal cavity which communicates with the external application surface through at least one passage hole formed in the external shell, the fluid product applicator also comprising a piece of porous material defining an internal network of open cells through which the fluid product can pass, the piece of porous material being disposed in said internal cavity. The preferred fields of application of the present invention are those of perfumery, cosmetics, or even pharmacy.

In the prior art, document US5199808 is already known which describes applicators of this type, using a foam placed in a cavity, one wall of which forms a perforated application surface.

More specifically, it is an annular part or a layer of foam which is disposed in a cavity whose perforated application wall is flexible.

This type of foam part has a triple disadvantage, namely that the part must be molded beforehand, handle it and place it in the cavity and hold it in place in this cavity. In addition, it is inevitable that the fluid product regains the application wall by passing over the periphery of the foam part bypassing it, and not through. Finally, it is difficult in this configuration to obtain mechanical undercutting of the foam part and of the cavity.

To solve these problems, the present invention provides a manufacturing method in which the internal network of open cells of the piece of porous material is produced directly inside the internal cavity, which thus serves as a training receptacle for the piece of porous material. In other words, the piece of porous material is created in the outer shell. This guarantees intimate contact between the piece of porous material and the outer shell, preventing any peripheral leakage. Handling and mounting procedures are eliminated. Mechanical hooks are easily achievable.

According to one embodiment, the piece of porous material can be a sintered piece which is directly sintered inside the internal cavity of the external shell. Advantageously, the outer shell and the porous material are chemically compatible, so that a chemical bond is created between them. And when the outer shell and the porous material are chemically incompatible, the porous part and the outer shell form mechanical attachment profiles to hold the porous part in the internal cavity.

The problems of peripheral leakage (bypassing the piece of porous material) are frequently encountered with rigid porous materials, such as Porex®, because their contour is irregular and thus create open cells of dimensions larger than that of the internal network. With the method of the present invention, these open peripheral cells are eliminated. We can even control the sintering process so that the sintered particles or balls merge with the internal wall of the cavity or crash against it. In addition, sufficient hold is created.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the piece of porous material at least partially fills said at least one through hole. It is thus possible to provide for the piece of porous material to come flush with the external application surface. It can even protrude beyond the external application surface to give a relief structure, which can promote a massage or peeling action.

According to another aspect, the external shell can be externally regulated in temperature during the sintering of the porous material in the internal cavity, in particular so as not to deform or deteriorate it.

It is also possible to produce the external shell with a rigid or flexible material.

As a variant of the sintered part, the part of porous material can also be a foam obtained from a liquid foam, which is expanded, then solidified, inside the internal cavity. In the case where part of the foam, after solidification, protrudes out of the internal cavity, the method can provide for removing the protruding parts. This can be particularly beneficial with foams that form a resistant, tight skin on the surface that must be removed to open the internal network of open cells. The protruding parts can simply be leveled or eroded.

The spirit of the invention resides in the fact of creating a network of open cells directly inside the external shell which thus serves as a crucible or training container. Sintering is the preferred method, but foaming is also possible.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, giving by way of non-limiting example, several embodiments of the invention.

In the figures:

FIG. 1 is a view in vertical cross section through a fluid dispenser produced according to a first embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 and an enlarged view of the applicator A1 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a top view of the applicator A1 of FIG. 2, and

Figures 4 to 7b are schematic views in vertical cross section illustrating four other embodiments of the present invention.

The fluid dispenser, as visible in FIG. 1, comprises a fluid reservoir R with which is associated a fluid applicator A1. The tank R can be made of any suitable material and have any aesthetic and / or functional shape. The reservoir R can have an elongated and fine configuration so as to give the dispenser a general pen configuration. The tank R of Figure 1 can for example be made of drawn glass. It is advantageously transparent. It contains a fluid product, preferably of low viscosity, such as for example perfume, a serum, a makeup ink, a fluid foundation, an oil. The viscosity of the fluid product F is of the order of a few centipoises or even tens of centipoises, generally less than 100 centipoises. The reservoir R defines a neck R1 on which the fluid applicator A1 is fixedly and sealingly mounted.

The fluid applicator A1 comprises an external shell 1, a piece of porous material 2 and optionally a protective cover 3. According to the invention, the piece of porous material 2 is directly produced or molded inside the shell external 1.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the external shell 1 defines an internal cavity 10 which is here completely filled by the piece of porous material 2. It is also conceivable that the internal cavity 10 is not completely filled by the piece of porous material 2. More specifically, the outer shell 1 comprises a side wall 11, which here is substantially or perfectly cylindrical. This side wall 11 is capped at its upper end by an upper wall 12 which is crossed by several passage holes 14, which are more clearly visible in the figure

3. The external surface of the application wall 12 defines an application surface 13 which is intended to be brought into contact with an application surface, such as the skin, the nails or even the hair. It can thus be said that the external application surface 13 communicates directly with the internal cavity 10 through the passage holes 14. With reference to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the application wall 12 comprises five passage holes 14, namely a central hole, and four peripheral holes which extend around the central hole. The application surface 13 is formed between and around these through holes 14. At its lower end, the side wall joins an annular flange 15 which forms a central opening 151. Thus, the internal cavity 10 is delimited by the side wall 11, the application wall 12 and the annular flange 15. It can be seen in FIG. 2 that the piece of porous material 2 extends inside the through holes 14 until it comes flush with the external surface of application 13. On the other hand, the piece of porous material 2 does not extend inside the central opening 151 of the annular flange 15. However, it could have been otherwise. Similarly, it would also have been possible for the piece of porous material 2 not to extend inside the through holes 14, or at least not entirely.

Below the annular flange 15, the external shell 1 forms a socket 16 which defines two external shoulders 18 and 19 as well as a fixing skirt 17 which cooperates with the neck R1 of the fluid reservoir R. It can thus be said that the interior of the reservoir R communicates with the internal cavity 10 through the neck R1, the sleeve 16 and the central opening 151 of the flange 15. It is not excluded to provide a valve at the level of the neck R1, îo the bush 16 or the central opening 151.

According to the invention, the piece of porous material 2 is a sintered piece which is directly sintered inside the internal cavity 10. In a completely conventional manner, sintering is obtained by a mass of fusible particles or balls which are subjected to a temperature high enough to melt the particles or beads on the surface so as to merge them together, thus creating an internal network of open cells. Rather than forming the sintered part outside the external shell 1, then bringing it back inside the internal cavity 10, the present invention recommends, on the contrary, to partially or completely fill the internal cavity

10 of fusible particles or balls, then to carry out the sintering directly inside the internal cavity 10. The sintering of the particles or balls inside the internal cavity 10 makes it possible to create intimate contact with the internal wall of the internal cavity 10. It is also possible, depending on the material chosen to form the outer shell 1, to create a chemical bond between the piece of porous material 2 and the outer shell 1. As we have seen previously, the piece of porous sintered material 2 can thus fill or not, or even partially, the internal cavity 10, the through holes 14 and / or the central opening 151. If a chemical connection is not possible between the sintered part and the external shell 1 , the annular flange 15, as well as the penetration of the parts 24 of the sintered part into the through holes 14, form mechanical attachment profiles which make it possible to hold the sintered part 2 perfectly stable inside the internal cavity

10. Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is also conceivable to form a part of the piece of porous material 2 inside the sleeve 16 through the central opening 151. A part of the piece of porous material 2 can even penetrate inside the neck R1.

Instead of a sintered part, it is also possible to use a foam obtained from a liquid foam, which is expanded, then solidified, inside the internal cavity 10. In other words , the expansion of the liquid foam takes place directly inside the internal cavity 10 and generates in situ the internal network of open cells. Again, a chemical bond or not is possible. Other types of porous materials can also be used in the context of the present invention.

During the formation of the internal network of open cells inside the internal cavity 10, it is possible to regulate the external shell in temperature, from the outside, so as not to damage it under the effect of heat. necessary for the formation of the piece of porous material 2. The external surface of the shell forming the cavity 10 can for example be cooled, tempered or even reheated, as the case may be.

Referring now to Figure 4, there is a very schematic view of an applicator A2 whose outer shell 1a comes down to a cap comprising a side wall 11a open downward and closed at its upper end by a wall of application 12a pierced by several through holes 14a. The external surface of the wall 12a forms an application surface 13a. The piece of porous material 2a, which can be sintered or foamed, occupies only the internal cavity 10, excluding the through holes 14a. This piece of porous material 2a can be maintained inside the outer shell 1a, for example because a chemical connection has been made between the piece of porous material 2a and the outer shell 1a. In fact, it can be seen in FIG. 4 that there is no attachment profile allowing the piece of porous material 2a to be retained inside the shell 1a.

In FIG. 5b, the fluid product applicator A3 comprises an external shell 1b comprising a side wall 11b internally forming a fastening profile 112. The application wall 12b is pierced with a single passage hole 14b which is filled by a part 24b of the piece of porous material 2b. It can be specified that the part 24b comes flush with the application surface 13b. The piece of porous material 2b does not need to be chemically bonded with the external shell 1b, because it can simply be held inside the internal cavity 10 by the attachment profile 112. The part 24b can also promote or complete the mechanical attachment of the piece of porous material 2b in the outer shell 1b.

In Figure 6, the fluid applicator A4 comprises an outer shell 1c, which can advantageously be made of a resilient flexible material, which can in particular be easily deformed by crushing. This shell 1c comprises a side wall 11c which is closed at its upper end by an application wall 12c pierced with several passage holes which are partially filled by the piece of porous material 2c. In particular, it can be seen that parts 24c of the piece of porous material 2c partially fill the through holes 14c. Thus, the piece of porous material 2c remains set back from the application surface 13c. However, since the external shell is made of a flexible material which can be crushed, it is possible to bring the parts 24c into contact with the application surface (skin, nails, hair) by pressing in or crushing the application wall. 13c. The piece of porous material 2c can be held inside the internal cavity 10 by a chemical bond, or even by mechanical attachment means (not shown).

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 7a and 7b to describe a last embodiment of the invention, in which the piece of porous material 2d is a foam, obtained by expansion of a liquid foam, then solidification. In FIG. 7a, an external shell 1d is seen comprising a side wall 11d as well as an application wall 12d pierced by through holes. Liquid foam was deposited inside the outer shell 1d, before it expanded, then solidified. Figure 7a shows the result after expansion and solidification. The foam 2d 'completely fills the internal cavity 10 as well as the through holes, and even protrudes outwards beyond the application surface 13d at 25. Likewise, the foam protrudes below the shell external 1d in 26. Some expanded foams have the property of forming a tight and resistant external skin which closes the internal network of open cells. In our case, this skin forms on the surface of parts 25 and 26 of FIG. 7a. According to the invention, these projecting parts 25 and 26 are removed, for example by leveling or abrasion, so as to reach a fluid product applicator A5 as shown in FIG. 7b. It can be seen that the parts 24d are now located flush with the application surface 13d and that the piece of porous material 2d no longer projects out of the external shell 1d at its lower end. By this operation of removing the projecting parts 25 and 26, the internal network of open cells is again open towards the outside, so that a fluid product can pass through it.

The outer shell can be made by injection of plastic or stamping of metal. It can even be made of glass or ceramic. The application wall can give a cold effect on contact with the skin. Its thickness can range from a few tenths of a millimeter to several millimeters. The wall of the internal cavity can be treated or coated with a film or a layer making it possible to improve the adhesion of the piece of porous material in the cavity. Passage holes may represent a particular logo or pattern. In certain cases, the passage holes will define a cumulative passage section which may be greater than the application surface of the shell application wall defined between and around the passage holes. In other words, if the piece of porous material is flush with the application surface, the cumulative surface of the piece of porous material at the passage holes may be greater than the application surface defined by the shell. around the through holes. In other cases, the holes will define a cumulative passage section less than the application surface.

It goes without saying that the various characteristics of the external shell and of the piece of porous material in the various embodiments can be combined with one another without departing from the scope of the invention. Solidified expanded foam can be used in place of a sintered part. The outer shell 1 can be rigid, transparent, opaque, deformable, crushable. The piece of porous material may partially or completely penetrate inside the through holes, or not all. It can even protrude beyond the application surface 13c to come into contact with the application surface, for example to impart a massaging or abrasive effect. Soft foam will provide a soft contact, while a sintered part, for example of the Porex® type, will impart an abrasive effect.

Thanks to the present invention, a fluid applicator is obtained whose piece of porous material intimately follows, or even adheres to, the internal wall of the internal cavity of the external shell.

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Claims (10)

Claims 1 Process for manufacturing a fluid applicator (A1; A2; A3; A4; A5) comprising an external shell (1; 1a; 1b; 1c; 1d) defining an external application surface (13; 13a; 13b; 13c; 13d) intended to be brought into contact with an application surface, this shell 5 external (1; 1a; 1b; 1c; 1d) defining an internal cavity (10) which communicates with the external application surface (13; 13a; 13b; 13c; 13d) through at least one through hole (14 ; 14a; 14b; 14c; 14d) formed in the outer shell (1; 1a; 1b; 1c; 1d), the fluid applicator (A1; A2; A3; A4; A5) also comprising a piece of material porous (2; 2a; 2b; 2c; 2d) defining an internal network of open cells through which the fluid can pass, the piece of porous material (2; 2a; 2b; 2c; 2d) being arranged in said internal cavity (10), characterized in that the internal network of open cells of the 15 piece of porous material (2; 2a; 2b; 2c; 2d) is produced directly inside the internal cavity (10), which thus serves as a training receptacle for the piece of porous material (2; 2a; 2b ; 2c; 2d). 2, - The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the 20 piece of porous material (2; 2a; 2b; 2c) is a sintered piece which is directly sintered inside the internal cavity (10) of the outer shell (1; 1a; 1b; 1c). 3, - Manufacturing process according to claim 1 or 2, in 25 which the outer shell (1; 1a; 1b; 1c; 1d) and the porous material material (2; 2a; 2b; 2c; 2d) are chemically compatible, so that a chemical bond is created between them. 4, - Manufacturing process according to claim 1 or 2, in Which the outer shell (1; 1b) and the porous material material (2; 2b) are chemically incompatible, the piece of porous material (2; 2b) and the outer shell (1; 1b) forming mechanical attachment profiles (15; 112) to hold the porous piece (2; 2b) in the cavity internal (1; 1b). 5. - Manufacturing method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piece of material of porous material (2; 2b; 2c; 2d) at least partially fills said at least one through hole (14; 14b; 14c ; 14d). 6. - Manufacturing method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piece of porous material (2; 2b; 2d) comes flush with the external application surface (13; 13b; 13d). 7. - Manufacturing process according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the external shell (1; 1a; 1b; 1c; 1d) is externally regulated in temperature during the sintering of the porous material in the internal cavity (10) . 8. - The manufacturing method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer shell (1c) is flexible. 9. - The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the piece of porous material (2d) is a foam obtained from a liquid foam, which is expanded, then solidified, inside the internal cavity (10 ). 10. - The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein at least a part (25, 26) of the foam, after solidification, protrudes out of the internal cavity (10), the method providing for removing the parts (25, 26) protruding. 1/2